SISKIN ASSET MANAGEMENT
Helping Nature Combat Erosion
ABOUT US
We are on a mission to develop an affordable, environmentally sound method for the effective mitigation of soft coastline erosion.
In the UK alone there are numerous high value assets (roads, railways, communities, golf courses, cultural & natural heritage sites) which sit on or adjacent to soft coastlines susceptible to erosion. Looking beyond the UK at coastal locations across the World the scale of the problem is magnified many times over.
Finding a practicable, sustainable means of protecting the affected people and assets using local resources is what motivates us.
A NEW CONCEPT
Traditionally, durable defence against erosion is based on hard engineering. In place of this Siskin have developed a concept based on well recognised soft engineering techniques. These techniques have been enhanced to improve durability and resilience in common coastal conditions. This delivers mitigation of erosion at a lower up front cost and reduced lifecycle cost whilst being deployable using only community level resources. Being based on soft engineering methods the concept also has a low environmental footprint.
The method uses a by-product of forestry operations called brash, akin to old christmas trees. This natural product is baled before being arranged in a defined geometry and anchored in the back beach area of soft coastlines. This structure then acts to capture mobile sediment and promote re-vegetation of the existing coast. The overall effect being to enhance the resilience of the coastline against wave and wind attack.
SUPPORTING INNOVATION
In June 2019 The R&A launched the Golf Course 2030 initiative, a key theme of this was coastal change and its impact on golf courses.
Siskin responded by submitting a proposal for a demonstration project of their new concept. Following evaluation The R&A agreed to support the demonstration project and have approved funding accordingly. With this funding and additional support from a number of academic institutions, implementation of the demonstration project is being planned for later in 2020 at a location yet to be finalised.
Click here for more details of the approved project on the R&A website.
PROJECTS
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
The planned demonstration project is targeting the installation of the novel system along an approx. 100m section of coastline currently suffering from erosion. Once installed the demonstration site will be monitored as part of a 3 year PhD project to evaluate system effectiveness and provide learning.
Information gathered during the demonstration project will be disseminated via update reports, conferences and standard media channels.
MEET OUR SUPPORTERS
R&A
Governing Body for Golf Worldwide
ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY
Worldwide Top 200 University